What is GT doing to its students?

[Longestday]

My recent recruiting at Tech made it feel as if the recruits don't like industry. I am finding this a re-occurring theme. Some claim they would not work for a oil and natural gas company. Do they own a car? Do they use electrify from our coal plants? What are we doing at GT?

 

[alentrekin]

Speaking from (perhaps?) a younger generation, many of my friends in oil and gas are looking to leave asap (see 10y). It's likely not that Tech is making "industry" unattractive. Rather, it's more attractive to work in perceived growth industries.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Wow....I wouldn't be so surprised by this from MIT students....more liberal and more theoretical to a degree. But I've always thought an advantage Tech grads had was a basis in practical engineering, which is what I think has made so many Tech grads so successful professionally. I hope this is just a blip on the radar and not evidence of something else.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Energy is still a growth industry and will remain so for the forseable future.

 

[Longestday]

The issue is not how successful or the down turn in industry. They morally don't want to work for oil and gas. This was a constant theme.

 

[AE 87]

It's not GT. It's the public school system before hand that indoctrinates in climate change superstition.

 

[OldJacketFan]

So developing and being on the cutting edge of alternative and renewal energy sources is somehow wrong?

 

[AE 87]

So developing and being on the cutting edge of alternative and renewal energy sources is somehow wrong?

No.

 

[smathis30]

I am a chemical engineering student that applied to every chemical engineering job that was not oil and gas and I know other people that did the same.


TL;DR People want to work with renewables (growing industry), want to live in Atlanta (more opportunities), and want to enjoy work.




Reasons why:

-The biggest reason is likely that Clean Energy is especially big and is being pushed VERY HARD by Tech. We now have Energy Systems minor, which is essentially a study on emission science. Almost every chemical engineering class has renewables in some way or form in it. I took a papermaking class last semester, and the last few weeks all focused on biofuels made from wood residues. Do I own a car? Yes, but being from Chciago, 10% of my gas is ethanol, which wasn't as much of a thing 30 years ago. Its new and its growing, which is exciting for Georgia Tech students.

-Oil and Gas are (slowly) dieing industries. (although oil Comanches are part of the forefront for renewables) Clean Energy has nowhere to go but up. With gas prices down, the whole economic outlook for that industry isn't as good as specialty chemicals, food, consumer goods, paper, ect. Job security is important.

-Some people don't want to live in Houston or Baton Rouge. Let's face it, if you're oil or gas, there's a 99% chance you end up there. I don't mind either, I just would prefer to stay in Atlanta, Charlotte, or Chicago, and oil and gas aren't exactly the biggest industries in any of those cities. Most people I know want to try and stay in Atlanta.

-Horror Stories of people that work there. It pays hella good but all my friends stories about work hours, work environment, ect. have scared me off. I've interned 4 times, and 2 of them were with a natural gas company. The work environment there compared to my other two was just miserable. High Pressure, People got fired/quit while I was there, and few other red flags for full time employment. I know I would rather take a job I enjoy more then pays less. Its a trade off. People go both ways. Oil companies also have the (notoriously) strictest recruiting standards, and a lot of people (including myself) don't meet them, so there's really no need in investigating if I would make a smaller oil company if my GPA is 0.3 points too low for BP or Marathon.

 

[Longestday]

@smathis30 Good answer... This makes me feel more comfortable with what GT is doing... but I did pick up on "Industry is bad and gas is morally wrong" theme from most candidates. I could understand someone saying "I would not work for oil and gas due to the extreme cycles of their economics" or many other reasons (oil rigs/location/target field etc). That would be one great answer! I could also understand a diversity of opinion of pro, neutral, and anti oil/gas/industry feelings in candidates from GT.

I am sure you already know: Burning tree rosin/oil produces CO2 and ethanol has very little effect on non-renewable gas usage (and burns/uses a food source).

I think targeting a renewable energy field is an excellent choice. I also think GT is smart to include renewable fields for study. I also think reducing our pollution is good. But specialty chemicals, food, consumer goods, paper, ect. all pollute to some degree and still need engineers.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I am a chemical engineering student that applied to every chemical engineering job that was not oil and gas and I know other people that did the same.


TL;DR People want to work with renewables (growing industry), want to live in Atlanta (more opportunities), and want to enjoy work.




Reasons why:

-The biggest reason is likely that Clean Energy is especially big and is being pushed VERY HARD by Tech. We now have Energy Systems minor, which is essentially a study on emission science. Almost every chemical engineering class has renewables in some way or form in it. I took a papermaking class last semester, and the last few weeks all focused on biofuels made from wood residues. Do I own a car? Yes, but being from Chciago, 10% of my gas is ethanol, which wasn't as much of a thing 30 years ago. Its new and its growing, which is exciting for Georgia Tech students.

-Oil and Gas are (slowly) dieing industries. (although oil Comanches are part of the forefront for renewables) Clean Energy has nowhere to go but up. With gas prices down, the whole economic outlook for that industry isn't as good as specialty chemicals, food, consumer goods, paper, ect. Job security is important.

-Some people don't want to live in Houston or Baton Rouge. Let's face it, if you're oil or gas, there's a 99% chance you end up there. I don't mind either, I just would prefer to stay in Atlanta, Charlotte, or Chicago, and oil and gas aren't exactly the biggest industries in any of those cities. Most people I know want to try and stay in Atlanta.

-Horror Stories of people that work there. It pays hella good but all my friends stories about work hours, work environment, ect. have scared me off. I've interned 4 times, and 2 of them were with a natural gas company. The work environment there compared to my other two was just miserable. High Pressure, People got fired/quit while I was there, and few other red flags for full time employment. I know I would rather take a job I enjoy more then pays less. Its a trade off. People go both ways. Oil companies also have the (notoriously) strictest recruiting standards, and a lot of people (including myself) don't meet them, so there's really no need in investigating if I would make a smaller oil company if my GPA is 0.3 points too low for BP or Marathon.

Agree that lifestyle is a very important factor. I think the biggest reason GT grads are not going to oil & gas is that they have a choice. A friend of the family started working at Exxon straight out of GT 3 years ago; but to get him they had to pay $100K a year.

Since you spend most of your waking life working, you need to do something you like if you can. If you can't, you just suck it up and take the least worst alternative.

 

[AE 87]

Agree that lifestyle is a very important factor. I think the biggest reason GT grads are not going to oil & gas is that they have a choice. A friend of the family started working at Exxon straight out of GT 3 years ago; but to get him they had to pay $100K a year.

Since you spend most of your waking life working, you need to do something you like if you can. If you can't, you just suck it up and take the least worst alternative.

FWIW, I think he knows that. Iiuc, his question was what is GT doing to turn off grads from oil/gas.

We have a current/recent CE saying clean energy is being pushed hard as part of the answer.

I think if everyone who considered CO2 a pollutant would commit to ending their own personal direct contribution to CO2 emissions by the end of next year, there'd be no debate in 2018.

 

[smathis30]

@smathis30
I am sure you already know: Burning tree rosin/oil produces CO2 and ethanol has very little effect on non-renewable gas usage (and burns/uses a food source).

I think targeting a renewable energy field is an excellent choice. I also think GT is smart to include renewable fields for study. I also think reducing our pollution is good. But specialty chemicals, food, consumer goods, paper, ect. all pollute to some degree and still need engineers.

Its a little bit of "oil is bad" but with a lot of european countries pushing for having entirely electrical fleets, Tesla's rise to power in the auto industry have all caused a lot of uncertainty. Its not necessarily that oil and gas is bad, as much as it is renewables are perceived as good. Even if an electric car in West Virginia's coal heavy power grid is perceived to be better than a F150 just because of the word "renewable". Its not that oil is bad, it just doesn't have much good PR going for it. When I think of BP, i think of their spills. Even if they are one of the largest producers of biofuels, its just what their biggest reputation is, and its something oil companies just need to do a better job of advertising.
One other thing I left out is the push for startups that tech has. With the Innovation prize, start up money has flown into Georgia Tech. I have tons of friends who work for start ups, and two of my friends actually won it last year. This has created a small push to "do better" in the world, and as above, most people want to try to change the world.

Oil is here to stay, and many will still work there. I've got 3 friends at Exxon right now, and another just accepted her offer a few weeks ago, so its not like they are dissapearing. They still by far had the longest lines at the career fair for chemical engineers. For what its worth, Reynolds and Reynolds (Tobacco) was vacant at the career fair. So people do see oil as more of a "necceasry evil" as opposed to smoking, which has been pushed as bad down our throats since we were 5. Which no one wanted to apply for. at all. So its not entirely bad. People will still do it for the money. Especially for 6 figures out the gate.

 

[Longestday]

Good points

 

[jacketup]

The collective entity that contributes the most to pollution from oil and gas is the government. That's right, the do-as-I- say-not-as-I-do Nanny State is the biggest offender.

Billions of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel are wasted each year from traffic delays. ranging from speed bumps to accidents. But the largest amount of unnecessary waste comes from poor traffic systems engineering. Most traffic lights in the city where I live are not a system, and the "technology" they employ is from the 60's or earlier. Structurally, I suppose the lights are safe, but the engineering stops there. Operationally, they are in the equivalent of the stone age as far as automotive technology goes. Yet, the government ignores its own failings, while passing laws requiring auto manufacturers to invest billions to make cleaner cars, as well as adding expense through legislation to other industries.

 

[jacobchbe]

My recent recruiting at Tech made it feel as if the recruits don't like industry. I am finding this a re-occurring theme. Some claim they would not work for a oil and natural gas company. Do they own a car? Do they use electrify from our coal plants? What are we doing at GT?

I am not sure who you talked to, but I like industry. Where do I send resume?

 

[Animal02]

The issue is not how successful or the down turn in industry. They morally don't want to work for oil and gas. This was a constant theme.

Reminds me of a friend from my days at Tech. She had a 3.6 overall in EE. Got through every class but could not relate much between classes. Another friend essentially did her senior project for her. Needless to say, because of her high GPA, she had lots of interest from employers. One flew her to the west coast where they showed her a video of what they did.......a middle flying into a tank and blowing it up. It was then she came to the conclusion that she did not want to work as an EE.

 

[Animal02]

The collective entity that contributes the most to pollution from oil and gas is the government. That's right, the do-as-I- say-not-as-I-do Nanny State is the biggest offender.

Billions of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel are wasted each year from traffic delays. ranging from speed bumps to accidents. But the largest amount of unnecessary waste comes from poor traffic systems engineering. Most traffic lights in the city where I live are not a system, and the "technology" they employ is from the 60's or earlier. Structurally, I suppose the lights are safe, but the engineering stops there. Operationally, they are in the equivalent of the stone age as far as automotive technology goes. Yet, the government ignores its own failings, while passing laws requiring auto manufacturers to invest billions to make cleaner cars, as well as adding expense through legislation to other industries.

Damn civil engineers.

 

[awbuzz]

Reminds me of a friend from my days at Tech. She had a 3.6 overall in EE. Got through every class but could not relate much between classes. Another friend essentially did her senior project for her. Needless to say, because of her high GPA, she had lots of interest from employers. One flew her to the west coast where they showed her a video of what they did.......a middle flying into a tank and blowing it up. It was then she came to the conclusion that she did not want to work as an EE.

Finally figured out it is a middle flying into a military tank...

 

[AE 87]

Reminds me of a friend from my days at Tech. She had a 3.6 overall in EE. Got through every class but could not relate much between classes. Another friend essentially did her senior project for her. Needless to say, because of her high GPA, she had lots of interest from employers. One flew her to the west coast where they showed her a video of what they did.......a middle flying into a tank and blowing it up. It was then she came to the conclusion that she did not want to work as an EE.

Finally figured out it is a middle flying into a military tank...

Do yall just got colds? I guess it's flu season.